The body of a Ymir woman who drowned Wednesday in the Goat River while on a search and rescue mission was recovered around noon Thursday.
RCMP identified her as Sheilah Sweatman, 29. She was originally from Manitoba and had been with search and rescue for about two years, assigned to the Kootenay swift water specialists team.
“It is a tragic day for volunteer search and rescue team members from across BC, who saw the loss of a teammate yesterday,” RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said.
It is believed to be the first time in BC search and rescue history that a volunteer has been killed in the line of duty.
Searchers are now continuing with their original task of confirming whether anyone was inside a submerged vehicle. Two local tow trucks are helping pull it out of the river after technicians worked at securing it.
RCMP and search and rescue personnel were called to the bridge on Highway 21 south of Creston late on Wednesday afternoon to investigate a report of a vehicle having gone off the road and submerging in the river.
Earlier in the week, Creston RCMP Staff Sgt. Bob Gollan announced that Lana Leia Sundby Chipesia, 23, was missing and last seen at a local pub at 11 p.m. on June 18. She was driving a white Pontiac Sunfire.
“Search and rescue team resources required to carry out an examination of the vehicle mustered at the location, with an objective of determining if there were any occupants in the submerged vehicle,” said Cpl. Dan Moskaluk, senior media relations officer for the RCMP southeast and north districts, on Thursday morning.
Swift water line equipment and a swift watercraft were deployed and, in an attempt to attach a tow chain to the submerged vehicle, one of the search and rescue members went overboard into the river and did not surface. Efforts to locate and rescue the volunteer, whose identity has not been released, as well as the car, were continuing through Thursday morning.
Police have been unable to confirm whether there is a body in the submerged vehicle, or if the vehicle matches the description of Chipesia’s car.
“Our condolences and thoughts are with the family members as well as with B.C. volunteer search and rescue team members,” Moskaluk said.
--WITH FILES FROM GREG NESTEROFF/NELSON STAR